Photos: Take-It-Back Movement Protests Oyo Abductions

Members of the Take-It-Back Movement gathered at Mokola Roundabout in Ibadan on Monday to express outrage over the worsening security situation in Oyo State and the continued captivity of abducted pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area.

The group, which converged at the busy junction in the state capital, called on the government and security agencies to intensify efforts to secure the release of the victims and address the rising cases of kidnapping across the state.

Participants carried placards with inscriptions including “Their Lives Matter” “Security for all, not for a few,” “Government must end kidnapping in Oyo State,” “We demand safer roads and communities,” “Protect farmers, traders and students,” and “Peace, security and justice.”

“Let them know that the people of Nigeria are not at peace. Let them know that the people of Oyo State are not smiling. Let them know that the Nigerian people are fed up with insecurity,” one participant said.

The demonstration came as the Nigeria Union of Teachers called an open-ended strike in Oyo State from Monday to protest the abduction of dozens of children and their teachers in mid-May.

The NUT urged primary and secondary school teachers in Oyo State “to withdraw our services from schools” from Monday “till further notice.”

The union said the strike was in protest “against the continued detention of our colleagues and learners by the abductors without any clear sign of their timeous rescue and safe release.”

The situation, it said, has “created fear and hopelessness in teachers, discouraged parents from sending their children to schools and caused panics and tensions across all communities in the state.”

On May 15, gunmen on motorcycles attacked three schools, Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota; Community Grammar School, Esiele; and L.A. Primary School, seizing about 46 pupils aged two to 16 and seven teachers.

One teacher, Joel Adesiyan, was killed during the attack. Another teacher, Michael Oyedokun, was later beheaded in captivity. The principal, Rachael Alamu, has appeared in a video pleading with the government to negotiate rather than use force.

Relatives of the abductees have repeatedly appealed to the Oyo State Government and security agencies to intensify rescue efforts.

On Sunday, a high-powered presidential delegation visited the affected communities, with President Bola Tinubu approving the recruitment of 1,000 forest guards and the deployment of a specialised security unit to intensify rescue efforts.

At my direction, following the visit of a high-level Federal Government delegation that I sent to the Esiele and Yawota communities in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, I have approved the recruitment of 1,000 forest guards in collaboration with the Oyo State Government.

— Bola Ahmed Tinubu (@officialABAT) June 1, 2026

The delegation also said a request for a military base in the area would be conveyed to the president for consideration.

Despite these measures, the victims remain in captivity, now in their third week, fuelling growing frustration among residents and parents.